The Northern Part of UWS is Down a Bakery and a Bagel Shop, But a Hot Slice Is Never Far Away

By Tracy Zwick

We may be down a beloved bakery and a storied bagel shop, but most of us who live in the Upper West Side’s northernmost precincts are never more than a block or so from a hot slice.

And we aren’t talking about just any old pie.

Mama’s Too, regularly voted one of the Big Apple’s best pizzerias since its 2017 opening, just expanded, while insider favorite Sal & Carmine’s has been paper-plating slices since 1959. Super Nice Coffee and Bakery, ranked by The Infatuation as one of the finest donut purveyors in town, is about to enter the UWS’s pizza dough-main, while Koronet has been attracting Columbia students since 1981 with its late-night hours and inexpensive slices as big as your head.

Let’s dish about this pizza lover’s paradise, starting at the south end and working our way north. This list generally doesn’t include full-service restaurants, some of which offer top-notch, often artisanal, ‘za. (Looking at you Marlow Bistro on Amsterdam and West 110th!) By all means, add your favorite slice or pie, your beefs and saucy opinions in the comments.

Village Square Pizza: Broadway between West 92nd and 93rd streets

Last year our reviewer noted this joint’s thick crust with a cataclysmic crunch and its simple, classic tomato sauce. Known for its pepperoni square and traditional mozzarella slice, Village Square also offers vegan options like bruschetta, eggplant squares, and roasted mushroom squares. The UWS is one of five NYC locations, including two downtown branches.

Marinara Pizza: 2578 Broadway at West 97th Street

With gluten-free choices and an Instagrammable “MVP Slice” festooned with colorful stripes of marinara, vodka sauce, and pesto, Marinara brings modernism to the UWS’s pizza scene. Cauliflower crust pies come plain or with toppings ranging from spinach and mushroom to buffalo chicken and eggplant parm.

Cheesy Pizza: 2640 Broadway at West 100th Street

It can’t be easy to sling slices just down the block from legendary Sal & Carmine’s, but one WSR commenter recently pronounced Cheesy Pizza the superior pie. I’ve seen Cheesy’s offerings described as more than just cheesy, but as “gooey” with at least one critic shouting out the “melty mozz” and “well-seasoned” sauce.

Sal & Carmine’s: 2671 Broadway between West 101st and 102nd streets

WSR recently did a deep dive on this thin crust that’s stood the test of time. With its friendly walk-up window on Broadway, S&C’s been on the UWS since 1959. It’s a local treasure and belongs to the Pizza Hall of Fame. While our reviewer found the cheese slice to be the “star of the show,” she was also impressed by the “meaty but not greasy” pepperoni and the “expertly charred” bell peppers. Commenters agreed, calling S&C “like part of the family” and the “best slice on the UWS.” 

Mama’s Too: 2750 Broadway between West 105th and 106th streets

Is there anything fresh to say about Frank Tuttolomondo’s Mama’s Too? The New York Times critic Pete Wells called it a leader in the “great awakening of slice culture” and “a very serious pizzeria” in 2018. He cited as “the most impressive square” the pepperoni but also raved about every offering at Mama’s Too: the Sicilian slice, the gorgonzola with poached pear, the vodka pie. Mama’s Too recently expanded, adding another oven and a larger counter. There’s no telling if that’ll mean less of a wait, but you should be able to wait indoors now.

Mama’s: 941 Amsterdam Avenue at West 106th Street

Frank Tuttolomando’s parents own this shop, one of a series of UWS slice joints they’ve owned over 60-or-so years and in which the younger Tuttolomondo was raised. On West 106th Street and Amsterdam, it’s just a block away from their son’s neoclassical pizza pilgrimage site, and the websites bear striking similarities. But if Mama’s Too brings pizza into a new era, Mama’s honors the staid NY street slice. Unlike Mama’s Too, Mama’s also offers a few appetizers and salads.

Traviata Pizza II: 2753 Broadway between West 105th and 106th Streets

It takes chutzpah to open directly across the street from Mama’s Too, and that’s just what Traviata II did a few years ago. I respect the decision and personally vouch for the mushroom, spinach, and onion pie. Offering Italian staples like baked ziti, lasagna, and calzones, along with a plethora of pies, this offshoot of the Lincoln Center location has been a welcome addition to westside pizza wonderland.

Super Nice Pizza: 975 Amsterdam at West 108th Street  (coming soon)

Opening soon in the erstwhile Spice space on Amsterdam at West 108th, hopes are high for Dan Cohen’s pies-only parlor (no slices). Cohen, who made his name with Danny Macaroons, followed up in 2022 with Super Nice Coffee and Bakery on West 108th between Amsterdam and Columbus. Known for donuts as creative as they are delicious, Cohen told WSR that he eats pizza more than any other food. “So when the opportunity came up to open a restaurant, I figured I may as well do what I know,” he said. Expect a full bar in addition to pies aplenty.

V&T: 1024 Amsterdam Avenue between West 110th and 111th streets

A local favorite for over 70 years, V&T’s was the pizza served at my favorite post-marathon party until upstart Mama’s Too became the post-race party pie. I miss V&T’s yummy, salty olive slices! Founded in 1945 by newly-returned World War II veterans Vincent and Tony Curcurao, who set up shop at West 122nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, V&T moved down the street to its current location in 1951. Before the war, the brothers worked at an Italian bakery in East Harlem, where they polished their pizza prep skills. This is a full-service restaurant from which you can order pies to go, though you can also sit in the cozy, old-world atmosphere and enjoy table service. The extensive menu consists of classics like baked clams, stuffed shells, chicken parm, veal francaise and, of course, pizza. 

Koronet: 2848 Broadway between West 110th and 111th streets

Open till 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, Koronet is a Columbia student standard. A regular cheese slice is just $3.75, and the jumbo slice, about ¼ of a pie that’s itself tire-size, is $6.

Giovanni’s Pizza: 1011 Columbus Avenue at West 110th Street

While there seem to be no authoritative reviews of Giovanni’s online, the sentiments of recent posters on Yelp are mixed, resulting in 3/5 stars. Help out your neighbors and drop a comment if you’re a Giovanni’s patron!

Famous Famiglia: 2859 Broadway at West 111th Street

This Italian franchise founded by the Albanian Kolaj family has locations across the country and in Mexico, but its home turf is New York, with nine outposts. Remember when Sarah Palin and Donald Trump grabbed slices at Famous Famiglia in 2011? They opted for pepperoni and cheese pizzas, but Famiglia has all the varieties you’d expect plus strombolis, calzones, and other “Italian specialties.”

Upside Pizza: 2878 Broadway at West 112th Street

The newest member of the elite UWS pizza pack, Upside’s already got fans in my building. I met the owner, Noam Grossman, last week – he was sitting behind his laptop working at one of the sleek new HAY outdoor tables in front of the slice shop. Upside makes its own mozzarella, just one of four cheeses on the plain slice. They use premium tomatoes, filler-free pepperoni, and natural leavening rather than commercial yeasts in the dough, imbuing each slice, according to the New York Times, with “multiple flavors and textures.” This is where I’ll be getting my next slice. Let me know if you see a downside.

Subscribe to WSR’s free email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.